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GAZETTE
DECEMBER 1978
Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association
Annual General Meeting
At the recent Annual General Meeting of the
Association the following Officers and Council were
elected for the year 1978/79:
John Buckley, President.
Moya Quinlan, Vice President.
Andrew Smyth, Hon. Secretary.
Clare Cusack, Hon. Treasurer.
Council members:
Michael Farrell
Elma Lynch
Stephen Maher
Vivian Mathews
Charles Meredith
Herbert Mulligan
Rory O'Donnell
Colm Price
Laurence Shields
Rory O'Connor and Peter McMahon were re-
elected as the Association's Hon. Auditors.
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
At an Extraordinary General Meeting of the
Association held at Blackhall Place on the 20th of
November 1978, Rory O'Donnell proposed on a Notice
of Motion, seconded by Herbert Mulligan, that the name
of the Association be altered to "Dublin Solicitors
Association" Mr. O'Donnell argued that the word "Bar"
was no longer appropriate to the activities of the
Association, the activities of which had over the years
become of a much more general nature. However, after
much eloquent argument in the course of which it was
pleaded on the one hand that the word "Bar" had
acquired a traditional and widely understood meaning in
the Profession and, on the other hand, that the word had
only one normal and popular connotation (both
arguments not necessarily mutually exclusive), the
Motion was lost.
In the course of the argument it was even suggested
that, on the American precedent, the word "Solicitor"
was open to misinterpretation and should be dispensed
with.
"ANY OTHER BUSINESS"
Several interesting issues were raised at the
Association's Annual General Meeting which it is felt
should not pass without wider expression.
Rory O'Donnell mentioned recent alterations in the use
of Certificates of Reasonable Value and drew the
Meeting's attention to the fact that there are now two
additional forms of C.R.V. (one for a flat and the other
for a house) which do not entitle the purchaser of the
house or flat to stamp the purchase deed "exempt frm
stamp duty". Worse still,' it was difficult to ascertain from
the face of the four forms of C.R.V. issued by the
Department of the Environment to indicate which form
entitles the Purchaser to exemption from stamp duty and
which does not. Representations are being made to the
Department of the Environment to have a clear statement
as to the stamp duty position added to each form of
C.R.V. Members will be notified about the results of this
in due course.
Rory O'Donnell also referred to an apparently
incresing practice in the sale of new houses, the price of
which exceeded the certified "reasonable value". It
appears that a number of Vendors of houses are charging
the "reasonable value" as the stated contract price, and
are collecting the excess price under the heading of
"extras" — which "extras", in many cases, do not exist.
This practice has already been the subject of comment in
the Gazette of The Incorporated Law Society which
recommended the profession should do everything
possible to prevent it.
In discussion, it was agreed that there were many
genuine cases in which "extras" did indeed justify the
price increase and Show Houses, sold with carpets,
curtains and fully-fitted kitchens, were cited as a valid
example.
Noel Reid raised a number of interesting and thought-
provoking matters, including a suggestion that the Courts
might consider sitting for one more than their present 32
weeks per annum. He argued that the present custom had
its origins in the travelling conditions and work-load of
the 18th Century and might profitably be revised in the
light of today's environment. No reference was made to
the possible effect of such a change on the volume of
reserved judgments or the speed with which they might
issue following an increase in the length of Court terms!
Discussion also took place on the Religious Services
conducted at the commencement of each Law Term and
Maurice Kenny proposed that a recommendation should
go forward from the meeting that, instead of separate
Religious Services, the possibility of an ecumenical
Service should be investigated. The Meeting was clearly in
agreement with this suggestion and the President
undertook to have it investigated.
The President himself mentioned that the next Annual
Dinner of the Association would be held, for the first
time, at Blackhall Place, on Friday 16th February 1979.
He hoped that the setting would be successful and would
be the first of many such Dinners.
DETECTIVES (PRIVATE) EIRE
International Investigators
Solicitors' Enquiry Agents — Process Servers — Commercial Enquiries
294 Merrion Road, Dublin 4. Tel. (01) 691561. Telex 30493.
16 Wellington Park, Belfast 9. Tel. (0232) 663668. Telex 747958.
LONDON — also BRIGHTON, SUSSEX — NEW YORK. U.S.A.
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